Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

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An early morning outing with the kids. At one point there were three little ones on her back. She shook them off briefly but they made their way back. This is her entire brood, all hoping to hitch a ride.

Whitemud Park, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. June 2022.

These are still so difficult to capture cleanly.

I managed to get this 1 recently.

Still aiming to get a really highly detailed 1 in flight soon though.

Taken at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. I think this is the biggest of the 3 siblings, Yuma.

"I'm going out the door

I will see the sun bright

and with your beautiful stern smile

I will tell you good morning

then I will leave I will be lost

and maybe you will only see me again in your dream.

Because I am a passing air

inside the city the alleys

and it makes the closed windows creak.

Because I am an evening aura

breathe cleanly alive

which makes the tilted leaves rustle.

I leave high for the mountain

and then I fall off the cliff

and I sway in the depths and the heights.

And I carry in silence

an unruly cry

and some unspeakable hope that has faded.

Because I am a passing air

Inside the city the alleys

and it makes the closed windows creak.

Because I am an evening aura

breathe cleanly alive

which makes the tilted leaves rustle."

🎧Αύρα

Taken @ IMAGO Land

Good morning folks, I did a whole series of this guy and still do not know how he got out of this place so cleanly, it really was amazing to see and to photograph.

Thank you all for everything.

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

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Nice to see this pair on the water retention ponds, far from the river. They were intriguing to the local non-birders in the area, who knew they weren't mallards, and were curious to learn more.

Emerald Meadows, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. March 2023.

These have been so hard to capture cleanly in flight.

It's a pity its wings were tucked in here, but it's 1 of the only decent 1's that i've been lucky enough to capture

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

I don't often get these mergansers as close to the shore, so I took advantage of getting the shot. Strangely enough, just the male came floating by in the current.

Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. May 2022.

Loretta did not like taking the lead in these situations. These Soap Bergs can prove to be the hazard they look to be. Best to paddle through cleanly.

Happy Maco Mondays

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

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Nice to see this pair on the water retention ponds, far from the river. They were intriguing to the local non-birders in the area, who knew they weren't mallards, and were curious to learn more.

Emerald Meadows, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. March 2023.

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

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She stood guarding her little ones from walkers, dogs and other birds. A sweet little family near the walls of the old city of Tallinn.

Tallinn, Estonia. May 2019.

Myrtus, with the common name myrtle, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, described by Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753. Over 600 names have been proposed in the genus, but nearly all have either been moved to other genera or been regarded as synonyms. The genus Myrtus has three species recognised today: Myrtus communis – Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe; Myrtus nivellei – Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa; Myrtus phyllireaefolia. Myrtus communis is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for use as a shrub in gardens and parks. It is often used as a hedge plant, with its small leaves shearing cleanly. 2367

Harris Brown-ALL rights reserved. This image may not be used for ANY purpose without written permission.

Pennypack Trust, Huntingdon Valley, PA. USA.

The larger of two look alikes, the Hairy Woodpecker is a small but powerful bird that forages along trunks and main branches of large trees. It wields a much longer bill than the Downy Woodpecker's almost thornlike bill. (think of the Hairy Woodpecker as a Downy on steroids). Hairy Woodpeckers have a somewhat soldierly look, with their erect, straight-backed posture on tree trunks and their cleanly striped heads.

Thanks to all who take the time to view, comment on and favor my images. It is very much appreciated.

Nikon Z9 camera with Nikon 500mm f5.6 E PF lens and fill flash

1/250 F5.6 ISO 180

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Contrasting colours of Myrtle leaves. Myrtus, with the common name myrtle, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, described by Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753. Over 600 names have been proposed in the genus, but nearly all have either been moved to other genera or been regarded as synonyms. The genus Myrtus has three species recognised today: Myrtus communis – Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe; Myrtus nivellei – Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa; Myrtus phyllireaefolia. Myrtus communis is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for use as a shrub in gardens and parks. It is often used as a hedge plant, with its small leaves shearing cleanly. 2368

The group of Osprey shots posted over the last few days were all taken April 30. Sometimes there was one bird in the air and sometimes as many as four. Keeping track of which bird was doing what was pretty much impossible, but along the way I saw the goldfish twice. Not sure if it was the same goldfish, but I’m guessing it was. The first strike on the goldfish was unsuccessful, with the Osprey only holding on for about a second. The fish never really cleared the water. The second strike was a complete success as the Osprey brought the fish out cleanly and then paraded it around in the air for a while before finding a tree for the feast. Some of the other shots show a fish I can’t identify. I’ve often visited Hendrie Valley and seen the Osprey do very little, but April 30th was a pretty good day.

Contrasting colours of Myrtle leaves. Myrtus, with the common name myrtle, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, described by Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753. Over 600 names have been proposed in the genus, but nearly all have either been moved to other genera or been regarded as synonyms. The genus Myrtus has three species recognised today: Myrtus communis – Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe; Myrtus nivellei – Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa; Myrtus phyllireaefolia. Myrtus communis is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for use as a shrub in gardens and parks. It is often used as a hedge plant, with its small leaves shearing cleanly. 2369

An image from several years back and one of my first captures of these beautiful birds. To say I was excited to have seen and cleanly captured this bird would be an understatement.

Enjoy, and Happy Labor Day to everyone!

Small, uncommon tanager of humid tropical lowland forest, sometimes found at army ant swarms. Typically inhabits low to mid-levels of shady understory, as singles or pairs. Sexes look alike, with bushy gray head cleanly cut off from the rich yellow underparts and olive-green upperparts. Song is a rich squeaky warble, at times prolonged.

Pipeline Road, Panama. January 2014.

Location: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cool%20Bay/92/179/21

A Song:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5yl4Sv4Lic

The moment I drew breath

I was told who to be

before I even was allowed

to think or dared to dream

I just want to have this illusion,

I promise never to ask

for another thing

It's to much to ponder,

let alone let myself believe,

If you have to tell me

Do it cleanly,

like a gunshot to the head

If you have to ruin me,

I want my eyes to be open

So I can watch the death of my dream

www.instagram.com/zoombablog/

I carefully walk through the forest, along the tiger path, near which I sometimes see cleanly licked bones of ungulates. I know there are four tigers here. Large female and three young tigers. I'm a little tense - I'm walking alone.

To be honest, I don't want to meet a tiger. I'm looking for a deer and I'm walking with a working video camera and two analog cameras in my bag at the ready.

This is the third time I am stepping over or bypassing the hidden tiger traps - loops. It's hard to be focused on the smooth movement of the video camera if you're looking for invisible traps and deer at the same time.. Three tiger catchers are here for half a year, checking them daily, and waiting. Tigers are very smart. The season ends..

I don't think the tiger hunters will be happy to find me caught by the leg.. Why did I even go this way..?

more about tigers www.flickr.com/photos/zoombablog/52235473248/in/album-721...

Fomapan 100 film

FED-2 rangefinder film camera,

Industar 5cm f3.5 (tessar type) folding lens,

Epson V600 scanned

Another Dunlin image, this one closer than yesterday's post...

This sandpiper paused its feeding to check me out.

The sunset colors in the sky above reflected in the lake water in which the bird is standing.

The algae along the shore can be seen here surrounding its feet, creating a shoe-like appendage. No danger here though, as the algae didn't stick strongly to the bird and its feet slipped cleanly away as it moved to continue its feeding.

The blurred portion below is a ridge of sand between the bird and me.

Cowee Mountain Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A different look at the scene from the overlook. Slightly adjusted composition, shooting cleanly into the sun, slight lens flaring resulted as you would expect. I wanted the sun kissing the peaks as best as i could capture it.

ISO: 160

Aperture: f6.4

SS: 1/30 Secs

Focal: 10mm

Haida m10 with CPL, and 4 stop soft grad

"Ice contains no future , just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly. That's the essence of ice, the role it plays."

Haruki Murakami

Done for Macro Mondays "It's Alive!!"

“ice contains no future , just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly. That's the essence of ice, the role it plays.”

― Haruki Murakami

This is a view of the same shrine from the other side. The Sun has already vanished behind me, the sky and the light white clouds are perfect, and the calm water is cleanly reflecting everything.

"Ice contains no future , just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly. That's the essence of ice, the role it plays."

Haruki Murakami

This is a nut from a Hickory tree. Look at that SHELL! A Gray Squirrel split this formidable package cleanly in half, to get to the nutritious meat inside. I went online to learn what kind of nut this is. I also learned: WHAT WE SHOULD NOT FEED ANY SPECIES OF SQUIRRELS:

PEANUTS, CORN, OR ANYTHING CONTAINING SALT.

Salty foods can damage their kidneys. Peanuts are not nuts but legumes and are "empty calories" for squirrels, as is corn. They will raid the bird feeders, but those who survive will not rely on bird seed. The various nuts and plants in nature give them all the nutrients they need, such as this Hickory nut. I regularly find these shells in my yard. A GOOD THING TO PROVIDE FOR THEM: CLEAN WATER. I sure learned a lot! I hope this is helpful to you too!

Theme: "Shells"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photo, and for the faves and comments you make, thank you.

"Ice contains no future , just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly. That's the essence of ice, the role it plays."...

Haruki Murakami, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

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We are in the sweet spot for these pretty ducks as they both breed and over-winter in and around Ottawa. This female was swimming alone along the river, which is surprising because they are usually found in pairs or small groups.

Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. May 2024.

Original digital abstract, with Midjourney, Smart Resize, TouchRetouch, and Procreate on an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil.

What you can’t tell on Flickr is that this has been scaled up so it could be printed cleanly at 20” x 40” or larger at high resolution. Many minuscule AI artifacts have been re-touched out.

Deep in the thicket, this Cardinal refused to pose cleanly for me, so I played along and embraced the branches.

At least the colors were cooperating nicely :)

Along came a spider and sat down beside her and leisurely ate her away. It took her an hour to cleanly devour with only the Wings left that day.

Contrasting colours of Myrtle leaves. Myrtus, with the common name myrtle, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, described by Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753. Over 600 names have been proposed in the genus, but nearly all have either been moved to other genera or been regarded as synonyms. The genus Myrtus has three species recognised today: Myrtus communis – Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe; Myrtus nivellei – Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa; Myrtus phyllireaefolia. Myrtus communis is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for use as a shrub in gardens and parks. It is often used as a hedge plant, with its small leaves shearing cleanly. 2381

Please, no invitations to award groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

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The merganser breeding season must have been a success, judging by the raft of immature mergansers gliding past us. There were at least twenty in the raft, though numbers were hard to count as they dove after a fish and popped up elsewhere.

Lake Doré, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. August 2024.

Eastern Ontario Birding.

"Ice contains no future, just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly. That's the essence of ice, the role it plays."

Haruki Murakami

On hot summer days I love to collect bits of flora alongside the road. These Sweet Pea flowers were originally a soft pink. However they became a royal purple when frozen in place overnight.

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits. (eBird)

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She had been preening and most of my photos were of a headless bird. Finally, she took a momentary break to enjoy the sun before returning to her morning ablutions.

Collingwood Harbour Trails, Ontario, Canada. May 2023.

The last of the Cyclamen flowers were beginning to fade. I wondered if I could capture the essence of these delicate flowers if I preserved them in ice. "Ice contains no future, just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly.

That's the essence of ice, the role it plays."

Haruki Murakami

unfortunately head focus is a little soft, but they are so hard to capture cleanly

Re-processed 2.3 hours of old data taken a while ago, RGB only, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 200mm, some at f/2.8, some at f/4, some at 720 seconds, some down to 120 seconds. I was experimenting with trying to HDR the stars a bit but this time I just lumped all the different exposures into APP with auto integrate, mostly it did pretty well but there is some nasty artifacts around the brightest stars. I really need a lot more data to get this cleanly I think, but mostly pretty happy with how APP did this. D810A, Celestron CGEM II mount, PHD2 guiding, APT camera control. Photoshop for final editing.

Paseando por Chamonix hice esta fotografía con el Mont Blanc al fondo. No la busqué, simplemente iba haciendo fotos a lo que me parecía interesante ya que es muy difícil fotografiar esta montaña limpiamente.

Cuando no son nubes que lo tapan, es niebla o el reflejo del sol sobre una nieve tan blanca quema la fotografía y lo demás sale todo casi negro.

Esta vez salió y solo tuve que aclarar algo los primeros planos para que se viera todo.

Parece que Chamonix sea una ciudad de gran belleza y no es así. Creo que es mas una ciudad turística y alegre debido a la cercanía de las pistas de esquí. No hay edificios singulares ni nada por el estilo. quizá sus paisajes cercanos son lo que mas valor le da a esta ciudad.

Al otro lado del túnel del Mont Blanc está Courmayeur que ya es Italia aunque su nombre suena a francés y no tiene ni la mitad de la fama que Chamonix siendo dos ciudades parecidas.

Lo curioso es que en Courmayeur tengo amigos que tienen casa y no conseguí ir, ya que los aviso luminosos advertían que para atravesar el túnel había colas de una hora y media hasta tres horas los fines de semana. Como comprenderás no fui.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking through Chamonix I took this picture with Mont Blanc in the background. I didn't look for it, I was just taking pictures of what seemed interesting to me since it is very difficult to photograph this mountain cleanly.

When they are not clouds that cover it, it is fog or the reflection of the sun on such white snow burns the photograph and everything else is almost black.

This time I got it and I just had to clarify the foregrounds so that everything could be seen.

It seems that Chamonix is a city of great beauty and it is not like that. I think it is more a tourist and happy city due to the proximity of the ski slopes. There are no singular buildings or anything like that. Perhaps its near landscapes are what gives more value to this city.

On the other side of the Mont Blanc tunnel is Courmayeur, which is already Italy, although its name sounds French and does not have half the reputation of Chamonix being two similar cities.

The funny thing is that in Courmayeur I have friends who have a house and I did not get to go, since the luminous warning warned that to cross the tunnel there were queues of an hour and a half up to three hours on weekends. As you will understand I did not go.

Ice seems to preserve everything in the past cleanly and clearly. However I know ice never belongs to the future as it will melt into the sun. I mindfully sliced out this moment and froze it.

Photography allows us to participate in nature’s mortality. Our captures will testify to time’s relentless melt.

Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. Feeds in rivers, lakes, and large ponds by diving to catch fish. Hardy in winter, often staying as far north as open water permits

Size distinguishes this species from other niltavas; coloration is quite similar to Large Niltava, which is double the size. Male Small Niltava is bright blue with the brightest patches on the shoulder and forehead. Female is brown with a white eyering and a rufous tail and wingtips. Forages in the lower and middle levels of hilly and montane forests, usually singly. Listen for its distinctive song, a cleanly descending “wee-dee-dee.”

Sattal, Uttarakhand, India. January 2015.

“A bad mood is like bad breath. Both are wrong to inflict onto others.”

- Dennis Prager

While visiting Estes Park Colorado back in October, I found myself in a very uncomfortable situation. After seeing some 10-12 elk just off the road in a field, I decided to pull off some 100 or so yards ahead and walk back to get a few shots. While standing and shooting, now some 30 yards from my subjects, I noted dozens and dozens more coming over the hill between my car and I. Getting back to the car wasn’t an option, but where I stood for the moment felt safe.

Within seconds I noticed dozens and dozens more cresting the hill…directly in front of me. I distinctly remember saying aloud…” Well Crap!”

The large herds of elk that descend into Estes Park every fall is called “The Gathering” for a reason. The rut has all but ended and now they come together for safety in their numbers to survive the winter together. I had no idea just how many there would be as I now stood like a rock in a stream with possibly 80-100 elk all around me. The racks on the bulls were intimidating, but it was the females, known as cows with their young calves that provided me the most concern. As they walked past, I lowered my camera in an attempt to view 360 degrees around my position and to not provoke these normally non aggressive creatures.

It was only when this big boy started to pass did, I really start to get nervous. I could see him making his way through the others in a direct line to my location. I slowly back-stepped to the other side of the two-lane road…it was truly my only option!

Prior to our arrival in Colorado, I had several discussions with friends about my dream bull elk shot…the classic full body shot while bugling and with its breath visible in the cold, crisp air. I wasn’t granted the shot I desired, but when this monster (somewhere around 900 lbs.) looked into my eyes and started bugling right at me…I could sense his bad mood and almost smell that breath that I had hoped to capture!

As previously mentioned, on several occasions I have been blessed to see bull elk, but only from extreme long distances. I was equipped with lenses that could cleanly reach out 1200mm…this shot was taken at 214mm. I had prayed to get closer for a good shot on this trip, the purpose to photograph elk…but this encounter was a crazy blessing!

No elk nor photographers were harmed in the making of this picture!

This is a digital art that I made with a picture I took here in Diano Marina on the Ligurian coast. In the building there is an "Azienda sociosanitaria ligure 1" (Asl1), i.e. a public health facility where ambulances are also stationed. The cyclist comes from the socialist republic of Viet Nam and somehow fits the Asl1. The background of the cyclist was yellow in the original, which gave the negative space of the picture the color so that I could cleanly take over the spokes of the wheels.

“We clear the harbor and the wind catches her sails

and my beautiful ship leans over ever so gracefully,

and her elegant bow cuts cleanly

into the increasing chop of the waves.

I take a deep breath and my chest expands

and my heart starts thumping so strongly

I fear the others might see it beat through the cloth of my jacket.

I face the wind and my lips peel back from my teeth

in a grin of pure joy.”

― L.A. Meyer, Author

Please, no invitations to award/forced comment groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.

Small plain woodpecker of wooded areas from primary rainforest to parklands and forest edges. Brownish overall with a white-striped head, a spotted back, and pale gray streaks on a buffy breast. Male has a small red speck near the back of the crown. Similar Gray-capped Woodpecker is black-and-white, with a less cleanly striped head, cleaner underparts, and unevenly distributed pale spotting on the back and wings. Sunda’s call is a high-pitched rattling trill. (eBird)

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Another bird that entertained us during breakfast. This is a tiny woodpecker (just 6 inches long) and difficult to see high in the tree.

Changi Village, Singapore. March 2024.

Birding Singapore.

Soft rainfall made its way through the canopy, catching leaves in splashes as it went before reaching the damp brown earth at my feet. Above, birdsong rang across the glade, while the River Pattack charged down through the gorge behind me, all brown swirls and rampant eddies. As I stood on the patch of raised ground, I saw a shot I thought might work. A pair of Spruce trees filled the window in front of me, standing out from the forest background like non-identical twins. No mist or fog about, but hopefully there was enough drizzle and grunge in the air to carve an image from.

This stretch of peaceful landscape had been something of an unexpected bonus as we began the first stage of our long journey back from Inverness. At the eastern end of the road lay the Cairngorm Mountains, which we’d passed earlier. Now we were gradually heading towards Ben Nevis and its friends, passing through pristine scenery. We’d crossed the Spey, premium single malt country, and now we were approaching the Pattack and the banks of Loch Laggan, at the other end of which the river curiously loses its identity and becomes the River Spean. We’d already pinpointed the forest on the map, quite casually before leaving Inverness, and decided it seemed as good a place as any to break for lunch. From here, another hour to our next base at Glencoe, although we both knew it would take longer than that with so many distractions lying in wait.

The main draw had been the waterfall I’d seen on Google Maps. It wasn’t one of the more famous ones in these islands, but cutting through a handsome slate grey gorge, it was worth taking a look, and there had already been a pleasing bonus in discovering that there was more than one location from which to capture all that water chasing along it. I thought I was done and ready to continue the journey through this gorgeous highland corridor when, as I began to wander back down the slope towards the van, the view of the spruces appeared before me. Perfect natural forest scenery without a plantation in sight. But could I get enough separation to show off the pair against the background?

It’s one of those images which barely made it off the bottom of the pile for quite a long time, because I was struggling with that precise element. Whatever I did, the trees either remained relatively indistinct from their surroundings, or attempts to work on them separately as objects proved to be rather fuzzy around the edges. More than once the entire process needed a fresh start as I wondered whether it was really worth it. Even if I did manage to resolve it, I wasn’t going to be winning any awards. Just a picture that would capture what I experienced on that damp afternoon in the forest. That was all I really wanted. I got to a point where I was reasonably satisfied with the result, but it wasn’t an image that I felt was going any further than my desktop.

Roll forward a few months and one Sunday morning as I looked at my YouTube feed, I found a video that had enough similarities to suggest a solution. A change of profile, some trial and error with the blue sliders and the improvement came relatively easily. Now the trees stood out cleanly from the greens around them. Some people can read the manuals on this stuff and understand it, but there are others like me who have to see it being done before the penny drops. And although I have started to lean more towards a few of the smaller YouTube channels and moved away from most of the big hitters, occasionally one of the latter throws out a golden nugget that can help unlock a problem, such as the woodland chaos around me here.

I’m glad I didn’t simply jettison the raw files in disgust. You never know when the answers that will solve a conundrum might appear. In this case it was just a few months later, but sometimes it can be years before you chance across something new and wonder whether it might be the answer to a shot you couldn’t get a tune out of at the time you took it. Fresh eyes on old images. Always worth keeping those problem pictures close at hand. Now, this one at last takes me back to the moment, and that’s all I was ever really hoping for.

"Ice contains no future , just the past, sealed away. As if they're alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly. That's the essence of ice, the role it plays."

Haruki Murakami

Freezing rain is never a popular weather event. However, early one morning I stepped outside to discover my garden coated with ice.

Slipping and sliding across the ground, I found this curly tendril from my Virginia Creeper plant. I find it is always beneficial to find the positive aspect of things in life.